ed into a broad smile, and he came
close up to the middy and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Good lad," he said. "I hope you are right."

"Hope I'm right!" said Fitz, staring. "Why, if she steams in within
shot they'll make such practice with that gun that we shall be knocked
all to pieces."

"You mean they would if they got well within sight; but look for
yourself. Where could they lay her to get a shot? I can't see."

"No," said Fitz thoughtfully, as he looked anxiously back and saw that
they were thoroughly sheltered by projecting cliff and headland. "I
suppose they couldn't get within shot."

"No. That's right, my lad; and they couldn't come in anything like near
enough if it were all open water from here to where they are now."

"What, is the water so shoal?" asked Fitz.

"Shoal? Yes," growled the mate, his face growing sour again. "We've
nearly scraped the bottom over and over again. I only wish they'd try
it. They'd be fast on some of those jags and splinters, and most likely
with a hole in the bottom. My opinion, Captain Reed, is that if the
skipper of that gunboat does venture in he'll never get out again; and
that would suit us down to the ground. Bah--bah! He knows this coast
too well, and he won't be such a fool as to try."

"No," said the skipper confidently; "you are quite right, Burgess. He
won't be such a fool as to try. But we must have a boat out at once to
go back and watch, for I'm pretty sure that Don what's-his-name will be
lowering a couple of his with armed crews to come in and scuttle us if
they can't tow us out."

"Ah, well, they can't do that," said the mate coolly. "They'd be
meeting us on equal terms then, and you won't let them."

"No," said the skipper, smiling, as he turned to Fitz; "I don't think we
shall let them do that, Mr Burnett. My lads will be only too glad to
receive the gunboat's crew on equal terms and send them back with a flea
in their ears."

"Ay," said the mate, with a grunt; "and quite right too. I think it is
our turn to give them a bit of our mind, after the way in which they
have been scuffling us about lately. Shall I go with the boat?"

"Yes, you'd better. Take the gig, and four men to row."

"I can go, father?" cried Poole eagerly.

"Well, I don't know," said the skipper. "If you go, Mr Burnett here
will want to be with you, and I know how particular he is as a young
officer not to be seen having anything to do with our filibusteri